Welcome to Breaktown
by your-xx-illusion
Summary: Ever since Bradin’s parents died he hasn’t been enjoying life. When he stumbles into someone, will he realize what he’s got before it’s gone, or let the corruption of depression and teenage years rule his life?
1. Another Sunny Day In California

_**Author's Note:** Hey! I just wanted to say that this is my first fic for a TV Show, and I'm hoping it comes out alright. I've written many a stories about Jesse McCartney (...Bradin) over the years, and I'm glad to see he's back to acting again, so I decided to give it a shot. I hope you like it! .. I changed some events in the show, and added a character, otherwise it's pretty much the same._

* * *

**Chapter One**

_Another Sunny Day In Californ-i-a_

Bradin made his way to Spanish Cove, still kicking himself about Erika and Jay. He was so fired up about the two of them being together, and knew the only way for him to relax was to go surfing. It was a bittersweet way to relax, knowing Erika had taught him how to, but the only way for him nonetheless.  
  
He looked out at the sea; the waves were crashing gently up against the rocks on the side of him, as he took in a deep breath and smelled the scent of the ocean. He looked out longingly into the sea, and thought of his mother and father. He missed them so much. It would never be the same for him, he had been keeping everything bottled up inside, refusing to let himself breakdown when he knew that was what he needed most. To cry for them, and more than anything to have them back and feel his mother's arms wrap around him in comfort.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a faint splash in the distance. He looked up to see a girl whom he had recognized from Jay's shop. She had been surfing, as she picked up the board and held it under her arm. Her blonde hair was matted, and dripping from the water, as she threw it to the other side of her neck. She looked up and met Bradin's eyes that had been looking at her.  
  
All of his thoughts were completely forgotten as he looked at this girl. Something inside of him made him think she looked lonely, and painfully so. He dismissed it though, and quickly looked away from her once she had caught sight of him. She seemed to do the same.  
  
Before Bradin knew it, she had walked off and left him alone on the beach once again.

_Alone_.

That was how Bradin had been feeling for days now. He looked out at the waves, took his board and rode off to the waves. It was the spot where he could clear his head, where he could think about everything that had been going on or happened that day. After about an hour of surfing, and clearing his head, he began to walk back to the house. He sulked back, and entered through the back doors. Aunt Ava, Derrick, and Johnny were home, as he put his board down and walked upstairs without saying a word.  
  
He stripped down from his surfing outfit into his bathing suit and a loose t-shirt. One thing he loved about California was that at anytime he could walk to the ocean and go for a swim. He lay out on his bed, depressed from the recent happenings. It was only 11 in the morning, but he felt like he had down enough to crawl under his covers and sleep until the next morning.

* * *

Nikki, Bradin's sister, stepped off the bus with her new found friend Cameron. She had given up on the girls here. They seemed even pettier than the ones back in Kansas. Cameron was a nice boy, and she seemed to share common interests with him. She was pleased that she had a friend now.  
  
"So, what are you doing today?" Cameron asked, looking at her curiously. He too, enjoyed spending time with Nikki.  
  
"Nothing. Would you like to come back to my house, and we can watch a movie or something?" Nikki suggested casually, as she looked up in Cameron's eyes. He nodded as the two of them set out for Aunt Ava's house, and the Westerly's new home.  
  
They arrived there after a twenty minute walk along the beach, where the continued to talk. The pair sat down on the couch, as Nikki stood back up and went to the refrigerator. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked kindly, and came back moments later with two cokes for them. Nikki took hold of the remote, and gave up, handing it over to Cameron.  
  
Finally, after settling on a channel, the two sat back and shared the afternoon together. Nikki's stomach however kept doing flips and flops. She had never felt like this before, as the looked over at Cameron, and her stomach churned even more. She knew what it was. She had heard enough stories. Butterflies.

* * *

Bradin had decided to go to the surf shop. Even though he wasn't pleased with Jay about Erika, he liked to visit the tiny shop on occasion. Walking in, he saw the girl from earlier. He always saw her in here, and she was always by herself. For Bradin, this provided a degree of comfort, knowing that she didn't have any friends to laugh at him with.  
  
"Hey, you're the girl from the beach aren't you?" Bradin asked, taking a chance and going across the empty shop to talk to her.  
  
She smiled, and nodded. "Yeah. Spanish Cove." She said softly.  
  
Before the two could say anything else, Jay walked in, delighted. "Ah, Bradin. I see you've already met Al. She's a great girl, work's here, and a family friend. Ava loves her." Jay said, smiling at the two, his Australian accent was as clear as ever.  
  
Bradin glared back. _Great_, he thought. _She's probably just like Erika, he introduces me to her and then I find out she's with him_. He held his glare steady while facing Jay.  
  
As if Jay could read his mind, he smiled and laughed aloud while shaking his head no at Bradin.  
  
"Oh, so you're Bradin. Jay has told me a lot about you." She smiled again, which seemed to calm Bradin down. However, his cheeks turned slightly red. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Allie."

Bradin's glare at Jay faded, as he turned and smiled at Allie, turning a slight shade of red. "I'm Bradin, but you already know that." He smiled, and chuckled nervously.

Jay, noticing Bradin's awkwardness, stepped in, hoping to get on Bradin's good side. "Oh, Allison ... I just came out here to ask you something before I completely forgot." He laughed, as Allie turned to look at him, "Ava wants you to come over for dinner tonight. How 'bout it?" Jay said, his Australian accent as clear as ever. Allison nodded at the invitation, as Jay smiled.

He had never even considered being with Allison. True, he did have mostly every girl he saw, but he also knew where to draw the line. Allison was 16 and he saw her every day. Two things uncharacteristic of his girlfriends. She was like a little sister to him, and the slight thought of Bradin's made him queasy. That was just wrong.

He smiled at the two of them and walked off, knowing he could give the rest of the details on dinner to her once Bradin left.

The two stood there in silence for a few moments, not quite knowing what to saw. "So ... how's surfing going for you? I mean I s'pose you never knew how to, seeing as I haven't known Kansas to have great waves." She smiled. Bradin looked at her closely, she had a subtle beauty that it seemed she was trying to cover up.

He couldn't help but return the smile, as he laughed. He ran his hand through his messy blonde hair, a nervous habit of his. "Well, I won't be entering any surf contests quite yet."

"Trust me it gets easier." Allison reassured. "You'll love it." She spoke, pushing a stray piece of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear, and looking up at him.

"I should be going," Bradin commented, afraid to say anything else in fear of sounding stupid. "I'll see you tonight at dinner." He said waving goodbye to her.

"See you." She spoke softly, as he walked out of the doors, happily. He smiled the whole walk home, and hadn't felt that happy since he first set eyes on Erika. This was a welcome relief for Bradin, and he couldn't wait for dinner.


	2. All's Fair In Love and Pizza?

**Authors Note:** _Wow you guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, I really appreciated them, it made me want to keep writing! .. Sorry it took me so long to update. I kept trying and every time I would end up losing my story. Well, anyways I really hope you like this chapter. Thanks so much for reading it! ... and I'm very happy to see so many Jesse fans ;)_

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_All's Fair In Love and ... Pizza ?_

Bradin walked home rather quickly. He wanted to ask Ava a few things. Reaching the door, he saw Nikki and a friend of hers sitting on the couch watching a movie, and Ava was alone in the kitchen, figuring that Derrick was out somewhere with Johnny. "Hey Aunt Ava." Bradin said, walking over to the counter.  
  
"Hey Bradin." She looked up and smiled at him. She was reading a book that looked like a cookbook to him.  
  
"Trying to decide what to have for dinner?" He laughed, noticing her anguish while flipping through the pages. Bradin knew that having dinner together every night was a new thing for the house.  
  
She paused, with an exasperated sigh, and then smiled. "Yeah. I invited a friend of ours over for dinner, so I wanted to try and cook something, but she knows that we're not big cooks so I'll probably just order some pizza." Ava laughed, closing the cookbook happily, glad with her decision. She looked over at Bradin, and couldn't help but notice that he was in a much better mood than recently.  
  
"Who's coming over?" Bradin asked innocently, as if he didn't know.  
  
Ava raised her eyebrow, and then smiled, remembering she had just told him she invited a friend over. The past few weeks were still a blur to her, and everything had yet to settle down in her head. "Oh. Her name's Allison, we've known her for a while. She's a cute girl, and we keep an eye out for her, making sure she's alright. Her parents travel a lot, so that's kind of hard on her, being alone all the time. She's your age, actually, and she works at Jay's shop. Maybe you've seen her." Ava said, hoping to keep Bradin's good mood up.

Bradin nodded happily, thinking back on meeting Allison. He stopped asking questions so that Ava wouldn't notice his delight. He didn't want her to tell Jay or Johnny and have them blurt it out at Allison. He gave her a smile, and walked back to his room. This time he didn't want to go to sleep.

* * *

Nikki and Cameron finished watching several movies before Nikki went off to use the bathroom. Derrick wandered down the stairs, as Cameron took notice. "Hey lil' buddy. Awesome glove. You play?" He asked Derrick, referring to the baseball glove that enveloped Derrick's tiny hand.

"Eh. Not really. I'm not very good ... at all." Derrick said, hanging his head.

"Don't worry about that! I'll help you if you want." Cameron smiled at him, sad to see Derrick so down. He looked down at the boy's head, and smiled. He remembered when he had first started to play baseball and how frustrated he had gotten when he couldn't hit the ball.

"Would you really?" Derrick exclaimed excitedly, nearly jumping out of his skin at the offer.

"Sure thing. We can start tomorrow, alright?" Cameron knew he was there with Nikki and didn't want to blow her off. Derrick nodded his head, as Ava smiled. She knew Cameron was a good kid, but that a very generous thing to do. Derrick walked off trying to hit his fist into his glove, but kept missing due to his excitement.

With the smile still present in her tone, she spoke, "Cameron, would you like to stay for dinner? We're having pizza." Ava suggested.

"Sure, Miss Gregory. Thanks!" He said, as Nikki came back from the bathroom, seeing Derrick's face glowing and smiling happily as he walked off. Cameron turned around, and was face to face with Nikki.

"Staying for dinner?" She asked with a smile, as he nodded his head in reply.

The screen door in the back glided open as Jay and Allison entered the house. Within moments the two were with the others, "Hey Allie!" Ava and Cameron said in sync.

"Hey Cam."

Nikki, who had been eyeing the girl since she had stepped in, turned abruptly to Cameron. "How do you know her?" Nikki asked in an irritated tone. Hearing Cameron saying her name, and her replying created a spark of jealousy in Nikki. She eyed the girl, as Jay and Allison walked over to the counter to hold a conversation with Ava. Nikki saw that she was pretty, as Bradin had, but immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was another slut like Erika. Nikki sighed heavily, she wasn't a little girl and she wasn't a stupid one either. She easily caught on to Bradin's bad mood, and how he spoke about Erika, and how he jumped down Jay's throat.

"Al used to baby-sit me, forever." Cameron said, noticing a new spark in Nikki's eyes. He couldn't determine what it was but something about it told him to back off a bit.

"Come on, we still have time to watch some more TV before the pizza gets here." Nikki said, grabbing his wrist as the two sat down on the TV and once again searched for a channel to settle on.

* * *

Bradin walked down the stairs with a bounce in his step that he hadn't had since back in Kansas. He was coming to find out what time they would be having dinner, when he turned the corner and saw that Jay and Allison were already here. Bradin immediately headed towards them.

"Bradin! Hey." Ava greeted, "This is Allie. Our friend. Allison this is Bradin." Ava introduced, as they nodded at each other as a means of hello.

"Ava, Ava, Ava." Jay sighed heavily. "A man of my skills has already introduced the two this morning." Jay said, wrapping his arm around Ava's shoulders and laughing at her.

Ava smirked at Bradin, recalling their conversation from earlier. He had known all along who she was.

"Ah, well...Johhny and Susannah should be back here any second. I'll start setting up the plates." Ava said, walking around from behind the counter.

"Oh, Ava. I'll help you." Allison offered, as she took the plates from Ava and set them all around the table. Bradin took note of this, and it took him by surprise. Not many girls _wanted_ to help and most fought against it when they _had_ to help.

As if by magic, Susannah and Johnny walked in as Ava and Allison set the last place. "Pizza, Pizza. Come get your nice hot pizza." Johnny announced bursting through the door with a wide smile on his face.

* * *

Dinner seemed to be going well, while everyone was talking to one another. Jay, Allison and Bradin had been talking about the surf that day; Johnny was leaning across the table talking to Cameron and Derrick about when they would practice tomorrow; and Susannah was excitedly telling Ava about the new clothing idea she came while driving home. This left Nikki silent, able to watch everyone interact. Her eyes steadied on Allison.

Nikki glared at her, watching her laugh and talk with her brother and Jay. It angered her how she always had a smile on her face, _as if anyone is that happy_, Nikki thought. She watched the three of them, worrying about her brother. To Nikki, Allison looked like another 'slut' that Jay brought home. She wasn't a baby anymore, and she refused to limit her thoughts. In her opinion, Allison was either trying to get Bradin or Jay to bed with her, and by the interested look on their faces, Nikki knew Allie was doing something right. Her eyes began to sparkle in hatred at the girl whom she had only met a half an hour ago, and Nikki could no longer bare to look at her. She had thought up so many ridiculous possibilities, that she didn't even hear Cameron trying to talk to her.

There was a peaceful quiet at the table, as Derrick and Allison started to talk to one another, and Nikki noticed her showing him some of her scars from playing baseball. Derrick seemed amazed by this, and it was the last straw for Nikki. She wasn't going to see both her brothers played by this girl. Nikki was the _only_ girl they needed.

"Who do you think you are?" Nikki growled, her beady eyes still focused on Allison. The whole table went silent, as Allison turned in curiousity. She saw Nikki giving her the death glare.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, "I don't know what you're talking about." Allison said, confused at what had caused the outburst. She hadn't done anything to her.

"You walk in here, like you're part of the family. Always smiling and willing to help." Nikki started up, infuriated that Allison didn't know what she was talking about. _Dumb blonde_, Nikki thought. Cameron grabbed hold of Nikki's arms, trying to calm her down, but she just pushed him off, more worked up than before.

"Nikki. Shut up." Bradin spoke through gritted teeth. Bradin squeezed his fork tightly, he knew she was about to go have one of her fits, but he didn't know why it had to be on Allie. Allison's smile began to fade, Bradin noticed as he glanced away from Nikki in fear he would say something he would regret to her.

"Well, you aren't part of this family! We have everyone we need, and it doesn't include you. And you're all over Jay. Why don't you two just go get a room and make out. And stay away from Bradin. I don't want my brother getting involved with a slut like you." Jay tensed up, he wanted to lunge at her, but realized that wasn't the best idea. His face contorted with anger.

Bradin narrowed his eyes, and glared at Nikki, but she ignored this and continued on. "Nobody wants you here..." She started.

"I do and Bradin does, and Cam likes her too, Nikki." Derrick looked up at her innocently, as he grabbed another slice of pizza from the box. He was the only one who wasn't in shock with Nikki. He didn't even seem to notice the eerie silence.

"Shut up, Derrick." She growled, but before Nikki could say another word, Ava stood up and looked at her in disbelief.

"Nikki! How dare you. Allison is just as welcome as you are in this home, and Derrick was right. You seem to be the only person who has a problem with her, and she didn't do anything to you, so I don't understand why. Go to your room, and stay there." Ava shouted, wanting to say so much more, but in the wake of her anger felt it best not to.

Nikki stormed off to her room, as Allison looked at Jay in bewilderment. She had no idea what she had done to get Nikki that upset. "Um...what did I do?" Allison asked, hesitantly, and very confused.

"You didn't do anything, Al. Don't worry about it." Johnny tried to reassure her, but the usual smile on her face didn't return.


	3. Starry Skies and Starry Eyes

_**Authors Note:** Wow, you guys. Thanks for reviewing. It keeps me writing, and I love hearing your opinions. Thanks again, and enjoy. Please review :)_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_Starry Skies and Starry Eyes_

Bradin walked out the doors, and saw Allison standing there gazing up at the stars. She was alone out there, and the smile had yet to come back to her face. What Nikki had said seemed to hurt her, even though none of it had been true. "Hey." Bradin spoke softly, as if he were to speak above a whisper she would run away. He met her blue eyes, that seemed to be of a whole different world than the ones he had gazed in earlier.  
  
"Hi Bradin." She gave her best attempt at a smile. She pushed the strand of her hair that had been dangling in front of her face behind her ear. "Sorry about that whole mess. Do you think your sister's alright?" She asked. Bradin laughed to himself. Nikki blows up for no reason, and Allison feels bad?  
  
"Don't worry about her, I'm just sorry she spazzed on you." Bradin said, coming and standing next to her. He looked up at the dark night's sky and smiled. He knew his parents were up there smiling down on him, and he wondered if Allison had someone watching her too. She was so enwrapped with the sky.  
  
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Allison spoke, looking up and then over to Bradin. His silence was a 'yes' to her question. "Well, I should be going. It was nice meeting you again." She tried again to smile at him, said goodbye, and started to walk off.  
  
"Hey. You, uh, you want some company on your walk?" Bradin smiled, walking over to her. "Cause I hear I'm not that bad." He got to her side and smiled, his eyes were twinkling and she could see them in the moonlight's shine.  
  
Allison smiled, Bradin's heart fluttered, it was the first real smile she had given since Nikki's accusation. "Sure, that would be nice." She said, as they walked off the back deck and onto the sandy beach.

* * *

"I can't believe her!" Susannah cried out, "I really thought we were getting somewhere with her." Susannah sighed heavily, shaking her head. The first few days with Nikki had been rough, but they had smoothed over, and she couldn't help but feel the old Nikki was coming back.  
  
"She didn't even do anything. Al had been so kind the entire time, and that's what she gets?" Jay asked, still as infuriated as earlier with Nikki. "And how dare she think, she think that I would, I would do something like that with Allison." Jay thought back to the hurt look Allison had in her eyes when she looked at Jay right after Nikki's outburst. His hand tightened around the fork, as he slammed it into the paper plate for the millionth time. He looked at his plate while running his hand through his hair, there were fork marks all over it. "Nikki needs to be taught a lesson." Allison was like a little sister to Jay, and he was just as protective of her as he would be if she really was related.  
  
Johnny remained silent, as he looked off into space. He had been listening to everything he said, and couldn't figure what he himself should be saying. Ava looked extremely upset as she took a seat next to Susannah at the table. "She disappointed me." Her tone was heartbreaking.  
  
"Aunt Ava!" Nikki cried, she had snuck out of her room to get some food, a girl has to eat. She hoped everything would be over by now, but the only good thing was that it seemed Allison had gone. "Jay and Bradin were all over her. She walks in like she's something special, and, and you all love her." Nikki said, anger forming in her voice. "Even Cameron."  
  
It was all clear now. She was just looking for things to say to Allison because she was jealous, especially about Cameron. "Well, if you have to be jealous of someone, might as well be her." Jay muttered, avoiding eye contact with Nikki because he knew it would only result in trouble.  
  
Nikki was fuming now, "I'm not jealous of her. Why would I be jealous of a slut like that?"  
  
"Nikki!" Ava scolded, "Stop calling her that. Bradin needs a friend, why can't you just be happy for him? Jay works with her and is like her older brother, and Cameron has known her since he was a baby. She's not trying to take your place Nikki. You know she could never do that."  
  
Nikki stormed up the stairs, smashing her foot on every one until she got to her room. "Good! Stay up there, you're grounded until further notice." Ava shouted up the stairwell. The anger that dared to come out was now present to all.

* * *

Bradin and Allison walked side by side on the darkened beach. Allison lived a few minutes down the beach, and the two started to talk on the way home. He didn't know much about her, and she intrigued him. He talked about his parents for a little while, as tears started to form in his eyes. He forced them not to fall. "I'm so sorry." She started, "I can't even imagine what that must be like."  
  
A wave of relief came over Bradin, as his tears faded away. He was happy she hadn't said 'I understand how you feel', because it maddened him whenever they did. No one knew how he felt. No one except those who lost their parents, as well. He looked at her, as she watched the waves crash against the sand. The sound soothed them both. "How are your parents?" Bradin asked, he had wanted to know about her after all.  
  
"Oh, mine? They're great." She said, faking a smile, but Bradin hadn't noticed in the dark.  
  
Before Bradin could ask something else, there was a noise interrupting the sound of the waves breaking against the shore. It was getting louder and louder as they couldn't see anything lying on the beach. Allison slipped her hand into Bradin's in fright. It was creeping her out. Bradin felt her warm hand interlock with his as they hurried past the next few houses, and avoided the noise that they had heard. All they could hear now was the waves crashing. After another five minutes of talking to one another, they arrived outside of Allison's home. It looked beautiful on the outside, and Bradin could only imagine the inside. "Thank you for walking me home." She said, slightly blushing, as Bradin noticed the glimmer in her eyes.  
  
"I really liked hanging out with you." Bradin shuffled his feet in the sand, as some of it began to build up in his flip flops. He looked up and smiled at her, "Can I see you again? Maybe, maybe we can go to that carnival that's in town. I'm sure that'll be a lot of fun." Bradin said, hoping she would say yes.  
  
"Yeah. Of course, I had a great time with you too." She said, sincerely.  
  
"So, can I stop by the store tomorrow, and we'll head out when you're done?" Bradin suggested. He was excited, and looking forward to spending more time with her.  
  
"Sounds great." She smiled, as they said their goodbyes. She walked into her house as Bradin made sure she was alright to get in. She silently watched him walk off from one of the windows.  
  
She stepped back, and heard his flip flop echo in the empty house. Allison walked to the fridge where her parents usually left they're normal note. They had left earlier today for God knows where. They were always going off to a new place, always traveling for work. If they didn't work together, their marriage would fall apart. She took the note of the fridge.  
  
_'Allison, We'll be gone for the next few days, so have fun! There's money in the right hand drawer on Daddy's desk for dinner, and I got food in the fridge for you while we're away. Have a great time. Love, Us.'_  
  
"Yeah." Allison sighed heavily. "You're just great. So great you're off in another country without your daughter." She sighed heavily, crumpling up the note and throwing it in the trash.

* * *

Jay, who had managed to calm down from earlier, saw Bradin walk in. "Hey." He greeted, knowing that even if Bradin was mad at him, he would end up talking about her, because Bradin needed a guy to talk to, and that guy was Jay. "So, what do you think?" Jay smiled, noticing Bradin's smile creeping across his face.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked, looking up at Jay and trying to hide his happiness.  
  
"Nice try, kid." Jay laughed at him.  
  
Bradin ran his hand thru his messy blonde hair. He openly smiled now, and sat down on the couch across from Jay. "She's so cool. I really like her. I mean, even as a friend. She's amazing." Bradin sighed, and then realized he had just told this to the person she works with everyday. "Oh God, Jay. Please don't tell her."  
  
"Are you two hanging out again?" Jay asked, hoping Bradin would have remembered to ask her to hang out again, even if it wasn't out on a date. Jay wasn't blind, and he knew Bradin was interested in her.  
  
He turned bright red, and ran his fingers thru his hair once more. "Yeah, tomorrow night. We're going to go to the carnival together." Bradin looked over at Jay who was smiling widely.  
  
"Good, really good. You both could use a friend right now. I'm glad you two hit it off so well." Jay smiled at him, thinking of something wise to say, but he figured it was no use for Bradin. If he gave him any advice, it would be like poison, since he got it from being with Erika. _Erika_. She hadn't crossed Bradin's mind the whole night, and he couldn't have felt better.  
  
Bradin got up and headed for the steps. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted. He didn't want the night to end, but his eyelids were closing fast and he knew that eventually, the night would end on it's own. "Jay..." Bradin started, looking up to see Jay also appearing exhausted. "Thanks." Bradin smiled warmly, referring to Allison.  
  
"Not a problem, kid. Not a problem." Jay muttered to himself, happy that he could do something to get back on Bradin's good side, as he too drifted off to sleep.


	4. L Is For The Way You Look At Me

_**Author's Note:** Wow, you guys! Thank you so much for your reviews. I love to read them and see what you have to say. I'm soooo sorry it took me such a long time to write the next chapter. My story doesn't take place in a specific episode either. I just kind of used some basic background information (i.e. Bradin's feelings towards Jay/Erika; Nikki's temper). And as for Nikki, I simply combined her jealousy issues and her temper. Thanks for reading the chapter and I hope you like it! Please Review 3_

_pst . this is somewhat of a transition chapter. next one should be better. _

* * *

**Chapter Four**

__

_L ... Is For The Way You Look At Me_

Bradin shifted gently in his sleep, and groaned. His phone was ringing in his pocket, as he tiredly grabbed it from his jeans and looked at the front to see who was calling. _They better have a good reason for waking me up, he thought_. Seeing the title "Home calling …" He rubbed his head in confusion, and looked up to see Nikki standing at the door with the wireless phone pressed up to her ear. A wide smile covered her face. He looked at her, as his eyes narrowed on her, thinking back to the night before. As if Nikki knew what he was thinking, she began to talk.

"We all thought it was time for you to wake up." Nikki said, explaining why she was calling him. It was an old trick she had picked up back in Kansas when Bradin would sleep late. He slept late, but when he woke up he wouldn't be able to fall back. A quirk of his. He ran his fingers thru his hair, as he looked down at his stomach. He was still half asleep, and needed a few moments to wake up.

"Wake up .. already?" Bradin asked, he felt like his head had just hit the pillow.

"Yeah, Bradin. Already. It's 12:30." Nikki sighed and walked away. She knew she wasn't his favorite person at the time, and felt awkward standing there... just the two of them.

Bradin sighed heavily, sat up, and walked into the kitchen. "Now serving lunch." Johnny called out, as if to say Bradin had slept all morning. "Late night, kiddo?" He chuckled.

"Yeah. I couldn't fall asleep." Bradin replied, his head swinging dangerously close to the cereal bowl that Ava had set before him. "Thanks Aunt Ava." He mumbled, sticking a spoonful into his mouth. He was slowly gaining energy, and could now hear the loud grumbles coming from his hungry stomach.

"So, do you have any plans for the day?" Ava asked him, curious to see what he would be doing with himself in the summer.

"Actually, I do. I was going to surf for a bit, and then Allie and I are going to the carnival tonight." Bradin said, his eyes were fully opened now, and he was enjoying his second bowl of cereal by now.

Ava smiled, along with Johnny, who were both happy to see that both Bradin and Allison had made a new friend. They both knew they needed one. However, Nikki, who had been sitting on the couch, gritted her teeth softly, and walked off to her room. "Well, I'm sure you two will have a great time." Ava commented, sitting down between Johnny and Bradin at the counter.

--

Jay stood up; shaping the board he was working on and giving its soul shape. He looked up, and saw Allison sitting at the register, loosely flipping through a magazine, that she seemed to have no real interest in. She hated how the only thing plastered on magazine pages were airbrushed, anorexic models. Jay chuckled softly, and thought back to the night before. He knew that it hurt her to be attacked like that, but she had pulled back from it and seemed to be doing better this morning. "So, how do you like Bradin? He's about your age."

Allison looked up from one of the pages, a look of disgust at the airbrushed model staring back at her on the page turned into a smile as she stood up and walked over to Jay. "He seems cool. We're actually going to the carnival tonight together. It should be fun."

"Ah, yes. Bradin did mention that, I must have forgotten." Jay smirked, as Allison just shook her head in laughter. She knew Jay better than anyone else, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. Bradin and Allison. She laughed aloud. No way.

"You laugh now." Jay spoke; his Australian accent was very lucid.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my wise one." Allison said, barely able to finish the sentence before bursting into laughter.

--

Cameron, who Ava had allowed up into Nikki's room knowing she would want to see him after last night's episode, made his way upstairs, looking for Nikki. He knocked gently on her door, as he heard her stomping feet come closer and closer. Slightly afraid at what her reaction would be to him, he stepped back a bit. Nikki swung open the door, as a look of bewilderment crossed her face. She was embarrassed, and confused at the same time. Aunt Ava said she was grounded.

"Your Aunt let me up." Cameron said, noticing her facial expression. "I wanted to come by and see how you were doing." Nikki's face contorted, as Cameron looked down at his shoes and shuffled his feet. "Could I come in?" Nikki, who remembered the feeling of butterflies yesterday, found it hard to say no to him.

"Sure." She spoke, softly. He would have heard her harsh tone if she spoke any louder. She calmed herself down, and smiled at Cameron. "Come in."

Cameron smiled back at her. "Are you okay? Last night … you kind of went off the deep end on Al." A twinge of jealously fluttered through her spine at the mention of her name.

"I'm fine." Nikki insisted.

"Well, I already asked your Aunt since I know that you're grounded, but she said it was tentative, and that I could ask you if you wanted to go to the carnival with me tonight. So do you want to? It should be tons of fun." Cameron said, with more enthusiasm than normal in his voice. She had forgotten that Bradin and Allison were going together.

"Of course. That sounds great. I really need to get out of this house anyway." Nikki smiled, and laughed, trying to relieve the slight tension.

"So do you want to meet me at Curly's, across from the big Ferris wheel around 8?" Cameron suggested. He had a few things that he had to do beforehand, but otherwise he was free to hang out with Nikki all night.

"Sounds great!" Nikki said, with a smile plastered across her face, as the feeling returned from the day before. This time it was stronger, as she slightly blushed. They were back. Butterflies.

--

The night had begun to rise, as the dark skies filled every corner of the sky. It was nearly closing time at Jay's shop, as Bradin wandered in. He looked around, and spotted Jay behind the register. "Ah, my man Bradin." Jay said, noticing him walk in.

"Hey Jay." He smiled. He was anxious to go out, and have a good time. It had been a while since he had remembered having fun. Bradin looked at his cell phone. It was only 7:00 and already dark out.

"Al's in the back. She should be out any minute." Jay said, as Bradin leaned forward on the register and he and Jay started a random conversation about one of the surfers on the front of a magazine.

Within a few minutes, Allison walked out from the supply closet. She looked up and saw Bradin, as though she weren't expecting to see him that moment. She gave him a warm smile, as Jay said, "Go ahead. I'll close up. Don't worry."

Allison nodded appreciatively, as she pulled her sweatshirt out from behind the register and slipped into it. The two walked out, and along the beach. The carnival was on the next pier, and they would have a shorter walk on the beach.

After a while, Bradin and Allison had gone on several rides, several times, and they were both having a great time with one another. They had gone on The Nor-Easter, The Zipper, Chaos, The Tea Cups, The Magic Carpet, The Haunted House, and quite a lot of other rides. Bradin hadn't remembered the last time he had enjoyed himself this much, and neither could Allison. They didn't tell each other this, but it was apparent through their attitudes.

They walked around for a bit together, as they saw Curly's … a little place to get ice cream, milkshakes, French fries, and snacks. They came up with the plan to get something at Curly's and then go on the Ferris wheel across the way. "Stay here and I'll go get the stuff." Bradin suggested, seeing an open table that seemed to be a rare finding around here, judging by the crowded area.

"Alright." Allison replied, as she took a seat, and saved the table for her and Bradin. Bradin walked over to the quiet stand. No one else was in line, as he placed his order.

A red haired girl came up and stood next to him. She leaned forward on the counter, folding her arms in as she waited for someone to come to her. She pushed a curl back from her face, and looked over at Bradin with a flirtatious giggle. "Hey, I'm Maggie." Maggie introduced herself. Maggie's hair, flowed past her shoulders, as her chocolate eyes looked over at Bradin. She was beautiful.

"Bradin."

"The one from Kansas?" Maggie smiled, as Bradin shook his head. "We've heard quite a lot about you. Not everyday we get a farmer to this part of town." Maggie eyed him carefully, as she twirled a strand of hair around her pointer finger.

The server in the back handed Bradin his order and took Maggie's. "Two shakes?" She asked him, before he could walk away.

"Oh yeah. I'm here with my friend Allison." Bradin responded, pointing over to Allie sitting down at the table. She seemed to be staring off in the distance.

"Skeets? Oh no. You don't want to hang around her, Bradin." Maggie said, as she looked back at Bradin after seeing Allison alone at the table. Bradin looked at her curiously. Allison was a nice girl, why shouldn't he hang around with her?

"Skeets?" Bradin questioned. What kind of a nickname was that? "Why not?"

"It's a long story, Bradin. But the short form, no one likes her. She's a loner, and quite rude if I do say so myself. She isn't like everyone else, and refuses to hang with us." Maggie lied. The truth was her friends didn't want to hang around with _her_.Bradin didn't believe it, but then again he had no reason to doubt Maggie. His disbelief showed on his face, as Maggie continued. "You have to get in with the right group, Bradin. And she isn't it. She doesn't do anything anyone else does. I'm sorry I had to be the one to break it to you. I'm just giving you the cold hard truth." Maggie said, putting a look of sorrow and pity into her eyes, hoping Bradin would take the bait.

Maggie's order came up, as she took it in her hands. "You seem like a nice guy, Bradin. We hang around Spanish Cove at night if you want to chill." Maggie suggested, as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and walked away.

Bradin looked down at the milkshakes in his hand, and over at Allison sitting at the table alone.

_Alone._

It made sense now. That's why he never saw her with anybody. He didn't know the whole story, but a part of him liked the idea of her not having friends. He felt a connection with that. Yet another part of him yearned to be accepted. To be with Maggie.

He acted unphased as he walked back to the table. He noticed Allison's look of loneliness again and once more noticed her subtle beauty. Her hair fell perfectly onto her face, and her sweatshirt hung on her flawlessly. It seemed that she couldn't completely hide her beauty no matter how hard she tried.

He smiled softly, thinking about her, and decided to talk to her about what Maggie said when they got on the Ferris wheel. He walked up next to the table and sat down next to her. He handed her a milkshake and smiled.

"Thanks." Allison smiled, the loneliness clear in her eyes.

Bradin nodded, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, as the breeze passed by them. She took a sip of her milkshake as she looked up to see Cameron and Nikki standing in front of them.


End file.
